Alaska Airlines crew rejects takeoff after runway incursion

The NTSB and FAA are investigating a runway incursion at Nashville International Airport that occurred on Thursday. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crew rejected its takeoff at approximately 130 knots when a Southwest 737-700 crossed the far end of the runway it was using. Both aircraft had been cleared by controllers, and the Alaska crew decided to apply the brakes, flattening at least two main gear tires. The proximity of the two aircraft remains unclear.

“The Alaska aircraft, on its way to Seattle, had received clearance for takeoff from Air Traffic Control,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the expertise of our pilots who immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating.” CNN reports this is the 14th NTSB runway incursion involving airliners in the past 20 months.